Control device for disposal unitprogrammed switch



Nov. 22, 1960 E. E. wuEczoREK ETAL 2,961,172

common nzvxcs FOR DISPOSAL mm" PROGRAMMED SWITCH Filed July 25, 1958 E km T I (3/ 50 i r I Z /0 F I Z8 70 a? 7/ r 33 34 53 3 32 3 62 I 5 /4 87LL I I [A] 57\ \35 J 2 37 37 5 66* 68 35 5:: 72

I I I INVENTORS. l M I EUGENE E.WIECZOREK ROBERT M. cox Ma MM ATTORNEYSUnitd States Patent j Ofiice 2,961,172 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 CONTROLDEVICE FOR DISPOSAL UNIT- PROGRAMNTED SWITCH Eugene E. Wieczorek andRobert M. Cox, Racine, Wis., assignors to In-Sink-Erator Mfg. Co.,Racine, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 25, 1958, Ser. No.751,051

4 Ciairns. (Cl. 241-325) This invention relates to a new and improvedwaste disposal unit and more particularly to a combination stopper andcontrol device for a waste disposal unit.

In any waste disposal unit, including units intended for both domesticand commercial use, it is desirable to afford a simple and convenientmeans for switching the unit ofi and on. Usually this means comprises anexternal electrical switch for the motor of the disposal device, sincethe unit is customarily mounted beneath a sink and is enclosed by acabinet which makes access to the unit itself relatively inconvenient.For example, control switches are frequently mounted on a wall. closelyadjacent the sink in which the disposal unit is mounted or on the frontof the sink cabinet.

A separate electrical switch of this kind, although not diflieult inoperation, does require that the user of the unit remember to turn theswitch on and does constitute a separate operation in addition to thedepositing of garbage or other waste material in the unit. In order toeliminate this additional operation and for the added convenience of theuser, various devices have been proposed for automatically energizing orde-energizing the motor of the unit in accordance with the position ofthe stopper for the unit.

One device of this kind, which affords substantial operating andmaintenance advantages as compared with previously known devices, isdescribed and claimed in the co-pending application of E. E. Wieczorek,Serial No. 728,850, filed Apr. 16, 1958, now Patent No. 2,917,- 246. Thedevice described therein utilizes a simple twopart stopper and a camcontrol for the motor of the disposal unit, the cam control beingarranged to afford drain, seal, and grind conditioning of the disposalunit merely by rotation of the stopper.

The Wieczorek device, in common with other prior art devices, conditionsthe disposal unit for batch-type operation. That is, the disposal unitis closed, insofar as admission of non-liquid waste is concerned, duringthe grinding operation; thus, the unit cannot conveniently be utilizedfor continuous feed operations. On the other handn, previously knownarrangements suitable for continuous feed operation have not includedany provision for stopper control.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is a new and improvedstopper-actuated control device for a waste disposal unit which isadapted to either batch or continuous feed operation.

A more specific object of the invention is a new and improvedstopper-actuated control device for a disposal unit, in which thestopper is of simple, economical construction yet which provides forcontrol of the disposal unit in accordance with a predetermined controlprogram.

A further object of the invention is to combine the attributes of batchand continuous feed operation in a single disposal unit control devicewhich is simple and economical in construction and which affords littleor no maintenance difiiculty.

- Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings which, by the way of illustration, show apreferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereofand what is now considered to be the best mode for applying thoseprinciples. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same orequivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made asdesired by those skilled in the art without departing from the presentinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of a disposal unit anda control device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the switch actuator of the controldevice;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately as indicated by line 33in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a schematic developmental view of the surfaces within thethroat portion of the disposal unit.

Fig. 1 illustrates a waste disposal unit 10 which includes a combinationstopper and control device constructed in accordance with one embodimentof the invention, the details of the control and stopper apparatus beingillustrated in Figs. 2 through 4. The Waste disposal unit 10 includes asink sleeve 11 which is mounted within the usual drain opening in a sink12. The mounting of the disposal unit within the sink opening is notcritical with respect to the present invention; accordingly, thestructural details of the mounting arrangement have been omitted fromthe drawings.

The Waste disposal unit 10 further includes a housing 13, usually acasting, of conventional form having an upper portion 14 which isaflixed to and forms a continuation of the sleeve 11. The portion 14 maybe formed integrally with the remainder of the housing 13 or mayconstitute a separate substantially ring-shaped member mounted on thehou ing. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, thehousing portion 14 comprises an injection molded nylon ring. The housingportion 14 and the sleeve 11 are sometimes referred to hereinafter asthe throat of the disposal unit. The housing 13 may be provided with awater inlet opening 15 in accordance with conventional practice andencloses a cornminuting chamber 16. In the lower portion of thecomminuting chamber 16 there is mounted a cornminuting ring or statorwhich encompasses a rotor or comminuting member. The rotor is driven byan electrical motor. The motor rotor and comminuting ring are ofconventional construction and have not been illustrated in the drawing.

The waste disposal unit 10, as thus far described, is substantiallyconventional in construction and in general operates in a conventionalmanner. Garbage and other waste material may be deposited in thecomminuting chamber 16 through the sleeve 11. Once the material isdeposited within the chamber 16, water is preferably discharged into thechamber and the electrical motor is energized to rotate the rotor. Therotor and the comminuting ring cooperate to grind the waste material,which is subsequently flushed out and discharged from the chamberthrough a suitable drain opening (not shown). The flow of water into theunit may be admitted through the throat 11, 14 or through the separateinlet opening 15, depending upon the manner in which the disposal unitis installed in the sink 12.

The present invention is concerned with the combination stopper andcontrol device 24 located at the base of the throat 11, 14 of thedisposal unit and particularly with a specific switching arrangementtherefor. The device 24 compr'ses a stopper 25, the construction ofwhich is bestillustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

The stopper 25 includes an upper or cap portion 26 to which a bottomportion 27 is rigidly afiixed. Each of the two sections 26 and 27 of thestopper may be conveniently and inexpensively formed from sheet metal asby a drawing operation. The upper and lower portions 26 and 27 of thestopper are prov'ded with flange portions 28 and 29 respectively, theflange 28 on the-cap portion 26 being reversely bent and clinched overthe flange 29. The central part of the cap portion 26 may be formed intoa handle 31 to afford a convenient means for grasping the stopper- 25 tomanipulate the stopper as described more fully. hereinafter. Areinforcing plate 30 may be provided in the handle-.31 of the stopper.

The medial part of the lower stopper portion 27 is provided with aflange 32 which affords a seat for a sealing. ring 33.. Preferably thesealing ring 33 is formed from neoprene synthetic rubber or from someother suitable resilient material substantially resistant to water andto fluids which might be encountered in normal use of the waste disposalunit. The 'r'ng 33 extends radially outwardly from the stopper'to alimited extent. When the stopper 25 is in sealing position in the sleeve11, as illustrated in Figure l, the sealing ring 33 rests upon a sealinglip 34 which extends completely around the internal surface of thesleeve 11. Thus, when the stopper 25 is in the position shown in Figure1, it effectively closes off the sleeve 11, and prevents the drainage ofwater or other liquid from the sink 12.

The stopper 25 further includes a cam plate 35 which is riveted, staked,or otherwise suitably affixed to the base portion 27 of the stopper. Thecam plate 35 is provided with three cam follower lugs 36, 37 and 38 (seeFigs. 2 and 3), which project radially outwardly from the stopper towardthe inner surface of the throat portion 14 of the housing 13. Althoughthe three cam follower lugs 36-38 are approximately equally 'angularlyspaced with respect to each other, they are preferably somewhatdifferent in configuration. should be understood that the number of thecam follower lugs is not critical with respect to the present inventionand that four or more lugs may be utilized as desired. Indeed, even oneor two lugs may sufiice, although at least three are preferred toaffordan effective and uniform cam and support action upon rotation of thestopper as described in deta'l hereinafter.

The cam follower lug'36 is a simple planar radially projecting lug. Thecam follower 37 is generally similar' in configuration to the lug 36 butis provided with a downwardly projecting car 39. The lug 38, on theother hand, is provided with a curved cam surface 41 wh'ch is notconcentric with respect to the axis of the stopper 25. The lug 38 isalso provided with an upwardly projecting ears 42as best indicated inFigures 1 and 2.

The combination stopper and control device 24 also includes a compositecam member which cooperates with the cam followers 36, 37 and 38, andwhich is best illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. In the illustratedembodiment the cam members comprises the throat portion 14 of thedisposal unit housing, and includes three separate cam elements whichengage the cam followers on the stopper. The cam followers 36-38 and thecam projection portions of the throat or cam member 14 are effective tomove the stopper 25 axially of the throat upon rotation of the stopperin either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, as explained morefully hereinafter.

As best indicated in Figures. 3 and 4, a first cam element 43 extendsalong a minor arc of the interior of the disposal unit throat; the camelement 43 affords a pair of converging upwardly directed cam surfaces44 and 45, which are bridged by a substantially horizontal surface 46.The surface 46 is not continuous but is provided with a relatively smallgap 47. p A stop member or lug 48 projects inwardly of the throatsection 14 of the disposal unit housing immediately above the horizontalsurface 46 of the can1-.element;43;. Preferably, the

Furthermore, it

stop member 48, like the cam element 43, is formed as an integral partof the d'sposal unit throat portion 14.

A second cam element 49 extends along a different arcuate portion of theinterior of the disposal unit throat. Like the cam element 43, the camelement 49 affords a pair of upwardly directed converging cam surfaces51 and 52 which are effectively bridged by a substatially horizontalsurface 53. As clearly indicated in Figures 2 and 4, the cam surface 51is preferably made somewhat wider than the cam surface 52 in order toassure positive engagement with the cam follower 38, since a portion ofthe cam follower 38 does not extend radially outwardly of the cam plate35 to the same extent as the other cam followers 36 and 37.

A third cam element 54 is disposed between the cam elements 43 and 49.Like the other cam elements, the cam element 54 includes a par ofupwardly directed converging cam surfaces 55 and 56 which areinterconnected by a substantially horizontal cam surface 57 having a gap60. A stop member 58 substantially similar to the aforementioned stopmember 48, may be disposed immediately above the horizontal surface 57of the cam element 54. An addit'onal stop element 59 is preferablylocated immediately above the horizontal surface 53 of the cam element49.

The control device 24 further includes electrical switching meanscomprising a switch 61, which is mounted within a separate compartment62, externally of the comm'nuting chamber 16 of the disposal unit. Theswitch 61 is of conven ional construction and is supported upon abracket 63 affixed to the housing of the disposal unit. The contacts 64and 65 of the switch are electrically connected by suitable conductorsto the motor of the disposal, and are. mechanically connected to acontrol arm 66.

The switch mechanism also includes an actuator 67, shown in its normalor unactuated position in Figure 1. The actuator normally biased towardthis position by a compression spring'69, which is disposed inencompassing relation to the actuator. One end of the spring 69 engagesan ear 70 on bracket 63; the other end of the spring engages a washer 71mounted in fixed pos'tion upon the actuator. A sleeve 72 is disposedwithin the housingaperture 68 in encompassing relation to the actuatormember 67; A sealing ring 73 is preferably mounted on the actuatormember in sealing engagement with, that member and with the sleeve 72,to prevent any drainage of water or other fluid from the disposal unitinto thev compartment 62 housing the switch 61.

The switch actuator 67 is provided with an arm or pawl 82, which ismounted on the actuator and extends downwardly from the actuator towardengagement with a ratchet wheel 83 disposed within the switch enclosure62; The ratchet wheel 83 is mounted upon a shaft 84, rotatably supportedon a bracket 85, and a cam wheel 86 is alsoafrixed to the shaft. The camwheel 86 affords a series of projections 87, which are separatedfrom'each other by depressions or pockets 88. The cam wheel is alignedwith an operating element 89, which is mounted on the operating arm 66of the switch 61.

Operation, of the combined stopper and control device 24, isextremelysimple and uniform yet affords a substantial degree of flexibility withrespect to switching of the waste disposal unit motor 21. Insofar asclosing of the throat 11 of the disposal unit is concerned, it is onlynecessary to place the stopper 25 in the throat in a position in whichthe cam follower lugs 36, 37 and 38 are aligned with the gaps 76, 77 and78, between the cam elements 43, 49 and 54 (see Figures 2 and'4). Withthe stopper aligned in this angular position with respect to the throat11, the cam follower lugs find no support Within the throat, with theresult that the stopper drops into the throat until the gasket orsealing ring 33 engages the sealing lip 34 as indicated in Figure 1.Preferably, this home location is identified for the housewife orspen-172 other user of the disposal unit by suitable markings on thestopper 25 and on the rim of the disposal unit sleeve 11.

When it is desired to drain water or other liquid from the sink 12without removing the stopper 25 from the disposal unit throat, it isonly necessary to turn the stopper in a counter clockwise direction, asviewed from the top of the unit. When this is done, the cam followers36, 37 and 38 ride upwardly upon the inclined surfaces 52, 45 and 56respectively, and thus move the stopper 25 axially of the throat 11 to anon-sealing or open position in which the stopper is elevated above thesealing lip 34. The upward movement of the stopper permits water andother liquid material to flow around the stopper and into thecomminuting chamber 16, the liquid being discharged from the disposalunit through the outlet opening 22. Movement of the stopper 25 in acounter clockwise direction is limited by the ear 39 on the cam follower37 dropping into the slot 47 in the cam element 43. The slot 47 islocated in a position such that counter clockwise movement of thestopper is arrested before the cam follower 36 engages the switchactuator 67; thus, the stopper is not effective to actuate the switch 61when moved in a counter clockwise direction. The stop members 48, 58 and59, engage the upper surfaces of the cam followers to hold the stopperin its open position.

Actuation of the switch 61 is effectively achieved by rotation of thestopper 25 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the top. When thestopper is rotated in this direction from its home location to theposition shown in Figure 3, the cam follower lugs 36, 37 and 38 rideupwardly on the cam surfaces 44, 55 and 51 respectively. Consequently,the peripheral cam surface 41 of the lug 38 is brought into engagementwith the end of the switch actuator 67, and drives the switch actuatoroutwardly through the aperture 68 (see Figure 1). The outward movementof the switch actuator efiectively changes the operating condition ofthe switch contacts 64 and 65 and, in the illustrated embodiment, closesthe electrical operating circuit of disposal unit motor. Thus, the wastedisposal unit is activated to grind and dispose of whatever wastematerial has been deposited in the comminuting chamber 16. At the sametime, the stopper is elevated, permitting the flow of water into thechamber 16.

Excessive movement in the clockwise direction is prevented by engagementof the ear 42 on the cam follower lug 38 with the stop member 59 asindicated in Figure 2. Return movement of the stopper to the homeposition shown in Figure l and indicated in phantom outline in Figure 3releases the lug 38 from engagement with the actuator 67, permitting theactuator to return to its normal position (Figure 1) under the biasingeffect of the spring 69. The actuator member 67 operates on the switch61 only through the medium of the mechanical connection afforded by thearm 82, the ratchet wheel 83 and the cam wheel 86. When the actuator 67is moved outwardly of the aperture 68 by engagement with the car 42 onthe cam follower lug 38, the arm 82 moves the ratchet 83 through arelatively short are in a counter clockwise direction. This movement ofthe ratchet wheel causes a corresponding rotation of the cam wheel 86.Assuming that the member 89 is in engagement with one of the projection87 at the start of a given operating cycle, it is seen that the counterclockwise rotation of the cam wheel 86 disengages the member 89 from theprojection 87 and permits the arm 66 to move to the right, as seen inFigure 1, moving the member 89 into one of the depressions 88.Subsequent disengagement of the actuator from the cam on the stopperdoes not change this condition but simply causes the arm 82 to move intoengagement with the next subsequent tooth on the ratchet wheel 83.

0n the next movement of the actuator 67, the same operation takes placeexcept that the element 89 is moved outwardly from the depression 88 andis again engaged by one of the projections 87 on the cam wheel 86.Accordingly, the switch 61 is effectively programmed by the cam wheel86, and changes its operating condition only on alternate operations ofthe actuator 67. This programmed switching arrangement is especiallyadvantageous in a batch-type operation of the disposal unit, in which asubstantial quantity of waste material is deposited in the disposal unitand operation is initiated with the stopper in the switch engaging orgrind position. If it is desired to add additional waste material towardthe end of the grinding operation, this may be accomplished simply byremoving the stopper, adding the material through the throat 11, andreplacing the stopper, since removal of the stopper does not shut offthe motor. The motor is subsequently shut off by again turning thestopper to the switch engaging position. In this manner, the switchapparatus 24 eifectively conditions the disposal for either batch orcontinuous operation, depending upon the requirements of the user.

Hence, while the preferred embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described, it is to be understood that this is capableof variation and modification.

We claim:

1. In a waste disposal unit of the kind having a comminuting chamber, athroat for admitting waste into said comminuting chamber, and electricaldrive means for a comminuting member disposed within said chamber, acombination stopper and control device permitting either batch orcontinuous operation and comprising: a sealing lip disposed within saidthroat; a cam member mounted within said throat; a stopper having asealing surface for engaging said sealing lip to seal said throat; a camfollower mounted on said stopper in position to engage said cam member,said cam follower and said cam member being effective to move saidstopper axially of said throat between a sealing position and an openposition with respect to said sealing lip upon rotation of said stopper;a switch, electrically connected to said drive means; an actuator memberextending into the path of movement of a portion of said stopper andactuatable thereby in one direction; and means mounted between saidactuator and switch and operatively connected thereto in position toactuate said switch between open and closed position only on alternateactuations of said actuator in said one direction.

2. In a waste disposal unit of the kind having a comminuting chamber, athroat for admitting waste into said comminuting chamber, and electricaldrive means for a comminuting member disposed within said chamber, acombination stopper and control device permitting either batch orcontinuous operation and comprising: a sealing lip disposed within saidthroat; a cam member mounted within said throat; a stopper having asealing surface for engaging said sealing lip to seal said throat; a camfollower mounted on said stopper in position to engage said cam member,said cam follower and said cam member being eifective to move saidstopper axially of said throat between a sealing position and an openposition with respect to said sealing lip upon rotation of said stopper;a switch, electrically connected to said drive means; an actuator memberextending into the path of movement of a portion of said stopper; andmeans for mechanically connecting said actuator to said switch foractuating said switch to open or closed condition in response tomovement of said stopper to one of said sealing and open positions inengagement with said actuator and for maintaining said switch in saidcondition until said stopper is disengaged from and subsequentlyreengaged with said actuator, said connecting means including a ratchetmechanism connected to said actuator and a programming device connectingsaid ratchet mechanism to said switch. 7

3. In a waste disposal unit of the kind having a comminutlng chamber, athroat for admitting waste into said comminuting chamber, and electricaldrive means for a comminuting member disposed within said chamber, and acombination stopper and control device permitting either batch orcontinuous operation and comprising: a sealing lip disposed within saidthroat; a cam member mounted within said throat; a stopper having asealing surface for engaging said sealing lip to seal said throat; a camfollower mounted on said stopper in position to engage said cam member,said cam follower and said cam member being effective to move saidstopper axially of said throat between a sealing position and an openposition with respect to said sealing lip upon rotation of said stopper;a switch, electrically connected to said drive means and having anoperating arm movabie between a first position and a second position toopen and close the switch; an actuator member extending into the path ofmovement of a portion of said stopper for engagement therewith uponmovement of said stopper to said open position, said actuator memberhaving a pawl mounted thereon; a ratchet wheel disposed in engagementwith said pawl for rotational movement in response to movement'of saidpawl; and a cam wheel mechanically connected to said ratchet wheel forrotation therewith and aifording alternate projection and depressionportions engageable with said operating arm to move said arm between itsfirst and second positions in response to engagement of said actuatormember by said stopper and to maintain said arm in a given positionaftereach such engagement of said actuator member until the next subsequentengagement thereof.

4. In a Waste disposal unit of the kind having a comminnting chamber, athroat for admitting waste into said comminuting chamber, and electricaldrive means for a comminuting member disposed within said chamber, acombination stopper and control device comprising: a stopper; means formounting said stopper within said throat for rotational movement betweena first position, in which said stopper seals said throat from saidchamber and in which said stopper may be removed from said throat, and asecond position in which said throat is partially open to receive waterand said stopper is held within said throat; a lug projecting from saidstopper; an actuator member mounted in said throat in position to beactuated by said lug when said lug is dssposed in said second position;a switch, electrically connected to said drive means; and a mechanicallinkage connected to said actuator and to said switch in position toactuate said switch between open and closed position upon movement ofsaid linkage through a complete predetermined path of movement, saidlinkage being movable by said actuator through one-half of said path ofmovement upon each actuation of said actuator by said lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,477,686 Coss Aug. 2, 1949 2,588,182. Van Ranst Mar. 4, 1952 2,657,397Drew Nov. 3, 1953

